Possessor (2020)

“I can’t pull the trigger”

This week, I’m giving you the cyber-horror double feature of your nightmares! If eXistenZ is cheeky and satirical, Possessor is terrifyingly nihilistic. Brandon Cronenberg’s second feature manages to be cold, violent and vicious while also being a kind of meditative exploration of surveillance technology. It would be easy to compare his work to his father’s legendary career — the organism-like technology feels very Cronenberg Sr. in its design, how it invades the body and destroys the self. But Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor demonstrates a unique, pervasive tension. He’s crafted a sophisticated, existential thriller complete with a ticking clock narrative and an enigmatic villain, and I’m absolutely here for it!

The performances are impressively technical and really well directed. Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott worked really hard to build feminine/masculine mannerisms together in order to reflect whomever is in control of the body, creating a sense of gender fluidity that we don’t often see on film. Jennifer Jason Leigh is creepy and stunning as always, providing an added sense of terror, and Sean Bean does what Sean Bean always does, which is be amazing while doing the bare minimum.

It’s also very, very violent. There is a lot of blood, and a lot of murder. … Happy Thursday!
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#horror #bodyhorror #cyberhorror
#cyberpunk #bodyswap
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